Tasting #7

Great tasting with Dave, Sam, both Aaron's and Shawn (Jeff came late from what I remember. Great stuff: BA Yeti ***1/2, Box of Chocolate ***1/2, Event Horizon ***1/2, Iron Hill RIS***, 50/50 Eclipse Grand Cru, Imperial Stout Trooper, Teddy Bear Kisses, Boulevard BBQ, a disappointing Ivan 2010, Farmhouse Black Metal and plenty more!

Nice haul from Abe (Agold) in Chicago. Double Daisy Cutter!! Double Crooked Tree, Zombie Dust, Metropolitan Kolsch, FBS, Bigfoot Barleywine, C. Waters BBS and Tyranena Down and Dirty Chocolate Oatmeal Stout. I sent BBQ plus locals.

Southern Colorado Race and Brewery Visits

Haul #1 from InebriatedJoker (Mike) out of Columbus, OH. Sent out a couple bottle of Grimm The Count plus some local extras in return received 2x BA Plead the 5th, Great Lakes BA Blackout Stout and extras FIS x2, Sofie and 2x Columbus IPA. Haul #2 from derkfromwi (Deric) out of Appleton, WI I got a 4 pack of Central Waters BB Barleywine and of Peruvian Morning and he killed it with some of my favorite extras: Zombie Dust, Hopslam, Nugget Nectar and a Founders Imperial Stout!! 

This is the 4th year in a row Steve Cathcart and I traveled down to Pueblo to run the Chieftain Spring Runoff. I ran the 10 miler 3 years in a row (winning it twice) and this year focusing on speed decided to compete in the 10K and finished first! But also have to feed that other passion/hunger of microbrew. We usually end up here at the Shamrock for brunch and a few before hitting the road. Okay brewery with very good food(not suggested for healthy eaters) and lots of history.

They had a good Black IPA, and I got the last of it. Enjoyed the porter and red as well.

Next stop was Pikes Peak Brewery in Monument which has been opened since last summer. Conveniently located right off the I25 had absolutely amazing views and it was a beautiful 60 degree day. That alone made it hard to leave, but had to keep moving.

I probably enjoyed the Devil's Head Red the most. The stout was decent, mostly European type styles though, so okay to me but everyone else enjoyed it. (first year women were allowed on the trip, so Megan and Betsy came along as well)

Lone Tree brewery was our 3rd and final brewery of the day, had just opened 3 months ago!! I was impressed with this brewery and would like to go back again. Very roomy, clean, smells good (new), solid beer and great service.

My favorite beer was easily Hoptree DIPA! They were out of the Puddle Jumper Pale Ale which sounded good and is their most popular beer. But all their offerings were good even the styles I don't normally get into. Fun day, and somehow the four of us ended up at the Mayor of Old Town!!

Latest Hauls

 Trade with Kevin (rawfish) of San Diego. He is a CSU grad and simply missed the excellent local stuff, so sent him a box of mostly Odell. In return he sent 2x 2010 Abyss, Alpine Nelson, Ballast Victory At Sea and 2x Sculpin!!! Great box!!!

Trade #4 with Vince (G311), he sent 6 pack of Nugget Nectar, 2x Heady Topper, Alesmith Wee Heavy, Insanity, Stoudts DIPA and Oatmeal Stout, Flying Mouflan. Sent him The Count, Footprints, Saboteur, plus many other locals.

Blind Barleywine Tasting

Last minute gathering for a Barleywine tasting. Dave, Sam, Megan and I did the judging. While Candice, Sam's girlfriend, was kind enough to do the pouring! I have really wanted to try alot of these beers so last night was great opportunity to do so. I set it up sort of a bracket style, and we sampled 4 barleywines at a time. We sampled 11 barleywines, probably a few bottles to many, as most of us were beat up a little at the end of the night and the next morning! Goose Island King Henry won by a landslide and in the final 4 got #1 votes by all 4 judges!! #2 and #3 were very close with Dry Dock Bligh's Barleywine and Pelican MOAS taking those spots; #4 2011 Firestone Walker Abacus; #5 and #6 were 2012 FW Sucaba and Troegs Flying Mouflan. Other barleywines in the mix: Three Floyd's Behemoth (which is a blonde barleywine, lower in alcohol and more hops; very good but not really a fair comparison to the others in this category), Hebrew 15:15 (good, maybe a little hot/sweet; needs some age), Schlafly Reserve 2010, Duck Rabbit and a 2007 Stone Old Guardian which was a bit of a disappointment. Good times, would love to do another blind tasting sometime but good on barleywines for awhile unless there is half the amount of bottles. Nice hair Megan!!

2012 New Year hauls!!!

Haul #1 from John (johnsaulrubio) in Austin: 4 pack of Buried Hatchet Stout (good stuff back for seconds! and in a can!), then a nice Jester King Brewery Black Metal, Farmhouse Black Metal, Das Wunderkind and Farmhous Wytchmaker. Typically not my styles but have heard good things and interested in trying. Extras: BCS and Real Ale Sisyphus Barleywine out of Blanco, TX.
Haul #2 from Greg a second trade from Birmingham, MI. a trusty 6er of Hopslam, in return I sent FiftyFifty Eclipse Grand Cru and Dry Dock Wee Heavy!!!

Haul #3 with Dan (CaptCleveland/ 2nd trade with) I recieved 4x BA Blackout Stout, 2x Hopslam, 2 Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, Brew Kettle White Rajah and extras: FIS and Flower Power. I sent FiftyFifty Eclipse 18year, Class V Stout and Ghost face Killah.
Haul #4 from Rob (robtobfest) from Connecticut (x3) received a 2011 NE Imperial Stout Trooper, Sebago Barleywine, Mainer Beer Co. Peeper Ale, City Steam Blonde on Blonde and S.Tier Eurotrash Pilz for Eclipse 4 Roses, Odell Red, Mountain Standard and 2x Myrcenary.
Haul #5 from Eric (EricCioe) who now resides in Missoula sent 2x Hebrew Gensis 15:15, Bitter Root Nut Brown Ale and Single Hop Ale, Sweetwater IPA, Casco Bay Brown Ale, Sanders Chocolate Stot , and D.Carnegie $ Co. Porter, a Swedish beer in return I sent a big package of Colorado and Michigan beers.

Tasting #5

Small Intimate tasting to end the year with 6 people: Big Dave, Dave, Aaron, Shawn, Megan and I. Higlights include Founders CBS, FW Parabola, Abacus and 14, Ballast Sea Monster, Kern River Just Outstanding and Class V Stout, Goose Island Big John.

1 Year BA Anniversary



From Steve (MrHirschybar) in Riverside, CA he was kind enough to pick up my Black Tuesday I ordered online! Also 2x Kern River Just Outstanding and Class V Stout, a Citra IPA, Ballast Sea Monster and Victory at Sea, and HOD Adam and Doggie Claws.

Great box from Keith (McNuts) in Raleigh: Pelican Mother of All Storms Barleywine (#2 English Barleywine behind Dry Dock's Bligh's), 3x Brooklyn BCS (1 '10), Laughing Dog The Dogfather Imperial Stout, FBS, Wake n Bake, Harpoon Barleywine and a Sweetwater Brewing Happy Ending Imperial Stout! Really knocked off some random wants here!

 

Courtesy of Morgan (Msquared2) from Mineral Springs, NC
Terrapin Wake N Bake is probably my favorite breakfast stout!!



Courtesy from Tom (trxxpaxxs) from Buffalo, NY

My final trades of the year! Have made over 40 trades in the last year (probably closer to 50)!!!
Tom sent the mix 5 pack of Sixpoint beer as well, great trader!!  He also sent a good serving of some of my favorites: FBS,  Blackout Stout, Flower Power, Expedition Stout and Brooklyn BCS in addition to a few I haven't had: Goose Island Big John Imperial Stout and Middle Ages Dragonslayer Imperial Stout out of Syracuse, NY.